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US makes visa bond permanent for 50 countries, raises cap to USD 20,000

The US State Department is making permanent a pilot programme that requires citizens of 50 countries, mainly in Africa, to post a bond before applying for certain US visas. It is also raising the maximum bond amount to USD 20,000. A draft notice published on Friday in the Federal Register said a review of nearly a year "provided sufficient data" to show that the programme helped enforce compliance with visa conditions. Under the programme, passport holders from the affected countries must pay the bond to be interviewed for US business and tourist visas, known as B-1 business visitor visa and B2 visas. The bond is refunded if the visa application is denied or, if the visa is granted, if the traveller follows the visa terms. The administration had launched the measure as part of efforts to curb visa overstays and illegal migration. It said that in the first 10 months of the pilot visa bond programme, the number of overstays from those countries was fewer than 50. Critics have said the policy places an unnecessarily harsh burden on people from poorer countries who want to visit family members or pursue education or business opportunities in the US. Government projections had initially estimated that about 2,000 visa applicants would be required to post the bond, but the State Department later found that roughly 20,000 applicants were covered by the requirement. "The department expects that this final rule will contribute to the continued reduction of demand for B1/B2 visa applications from nationals of countries subject to the programme," the notice said.